ONLINE | WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM/SPORTS B Yamaguchi wraps up college career at Pepperdine KOLTEN YAMAGUCHI Pepperdine career Whenever the powerful blocs from the OIA and ILH converge at the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association conference, anything can happen. The BIIF old-timers, especially the diehard basketball fans, know that something they cherish could be gone in a second. They likely all remember that the last HHSAA state girls basketball championships held on the Big Island was in 1997 at Hilo Civic. It was pretty much a full house when Punahou defeated Honokaa 60-37 for the state title. The HHSAA made money. The hometown fans were happy to not fly over to Oahu. And the BIIF was itching for another chance to host. It never happened Kolten Yamaguchi recently wrapped up his college baseball career when Pepperdine fell to Cal State Fullerton on May 30 in NCAA Regional play. The 2011 Konawaena graduate had a solid four year varsity experience that was capped by two West Coast Conference tournament championships and a run into the NCAA Super Regionals his junior season. Yamaguchi won his first conference title his junior year when the Waves BASEBALL defeated Loyola Marymount 4-1 to clinch a spot in the NCAA Regionals. In regional play, Pepperdine defeated Arizona State (3-2), and then swept Cal Poly (2-1, 10-5) to advance to the schools first every Super Regional where they played three tough games against TCU. They lost the first game 3-2, before tying the series with a 3-2 victory. They dropped the third game 6-5. “Going to Super Regionals was amazing,” Yamaguchi said. “Seeing our guys fight so hard and pull out huge wins — the team really pulled together.” Pepperdine managed to reach the Super Regionals despite not being favored to win the conference at the start of the year. In regional play, the Waves were again facing an uphill battle with Cal Poly, a team that was highly ranked in the nation. “Despite how people doubted our team, we pulled together and knew we could advance further on,” Yamaguchi said. “Flying to TCU was amazing. Their fans were in our face and it SPORTS SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2015 | WEST HAWAII TODAY SEE YAMAGUCHI PAGE 2B HORSE RACING | BELMONT STAKES RUNNING AWAY WITH HISTORY AMERICAN PHAROAH MAKES IT LOOK EASY IN TAKING TRIPLE CROWN NEW YORK — By midstretch, Bob Baffert knew it. American Pharoah was going to win the Triple Crown. He took his eyes off the horse to soak in the crazed scene of the packed grandstand. Fans jumped up and down, hugged, and tossed drinks in the air. The race wasn’t even over yet, and the crowd knew it, too. Thirty-seven years of waiting to see one of the rarest feats in sports was almost over. “The crowd was just thundering and I was just enjoying the crowd and the noise and everything happening,” the white-haired trainer said. “What a feeling.” Finally, a Triple Crown winner. And this one was never in doubt. American Pharoah led all the way to win the Belmont Stakes by 5 ½ lengths on Saturday, becoming the first horse since 1978 to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes — one of the sporting world’s rarest feats. SEE PHAROAH PAGE 2B Big Isle trio showing tools of MLB trade Quintin Torres-Costa, Chayce Ka’aua, and Kobi Candaroma get up early in the morning and start their day with Kaha Wong’s Big Island Baseball program, working out at his hitting cage on Railroad Avenue and then motoring down to Walter Victor Stadium for overtime. The trio not only share a bond as UH-Manoa teammates, but also serve as the Big Island’s best class of candidates for the Major League Baseball first-year player draft, which runs June 8-10. Torres-Costa, a 6-foot, 190-pound left-handed pitcher, is draft-eligible as a redshirt sophomore. Candaroma, a recent Kamehameha graduate and center fielder, signed with the Rainbow Warriors and is also draft-eligible. Ka’aua, a redshirt freshman catcher, will be eligible next year. Each has displayed a major league tool, and have the potential for growth, a key component for scouts, who file two grades in their reports: present and future tools. Torres-Costa’s fastball is in the high 80s to low 90 mph range, about major league average. He’s topped out at 93 mph. But beyond his velocity, his most attractive asset has been the movement, especially the late-diving action, on his fastball, a reason he posted 18 2/3 scoreless innings with 26 strikeouts and eight saves out of the bullpen. Candaroma’s best tool is his speed. He’s been clocked at 6.6 seconds in the 60-yard dash, and said he posted a 6.7 during a pro showcase earlier this year in Anaheim, Calif., and both times are better than MLB average. He’s fairly comparable BY KEVIN JAKAHI HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD BY KEVIN JAKAHI HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD BY BETH HARRIS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MLB | DRAFT ATHLETIC DIRECTORS CONFERENCE MLB First-Year Player Draft • June 8-10 SEE DRAFT PAGE 2B SEE HIADA PAGE 2B 37 Years since the last Triple Crown winner. Affirmed was the last to accomplish the feat in 1978. 5 1/2 Lengths American Pharoah won by. It is the 4th-largest margin of victory at Belmont Stakes by a Triple Crown winner. 12 Number of horses to win the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes). 5 Number of horses to win the Triple Crown by leading the Belmont Stakes wire-towire since 1948. American Pharoah joined that exclusive club on Saturday. 24.32 American Pharoah’s time on the final quarter mile, which was even faster than Secretariat’s 25 second final quarter in his record-setting Belmont victory in 1973. BY RICK WINTERS WEST HAWAII TODAY rwinters@westhawaiitoday.com 255 avg. 10 HRs 50 RBIs 2 WCC titles NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2014 2013 All-WCC First Team selection Victor Espinoza reacts after winning the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. JULIO CORTEZ/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ONLINE WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM/SPORTS Barcelona wins Champions League title HHSAA state regionals could be cut
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